Machine for packing matches



1933- M. PARIDON MACHINE FOR PACKING MATCHES Filed Aug. 31, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 22, 1933. P R ON 1,923,950

MACHINE FOR PACKING MATCHES Patented Aug. 22, 1933 UNiTED STATES PATENT OFFICE The Diamond Match Md., a Corporation of Company, Baltimore, Maryland Application August 31, 1932. Serial No. 631,121

2 Claims.

This invention relates to match packing machines, and more especially to an improvement in the tray filling mechanism embodied in the machine set out in Letters Patent of the United States No. 1,016,436, dated February 6, 1912.

The machine of the patent referred to includes an elongated trough-like hopper of a width to receive and support matches in bulk in substantial parallelism, said trough being provided at different points in its length with transverselyextending discharge openings having spaced depending walls constituting measuring chambers through which charges of matches are simultaneously delivered at regular intervals; a conveyer for progressively feeding match trays beheath the chambers and for partially turning the receptacles in a horizontal plane during their passage from one chamber to another; cam actuated devices for raising and lowering the trays in relation to the respective measuring chambers, and cut-off blades operative in timed relation to the conveyer to control the communication between the openings and the respective measuring chambers, whereby each succeeding tray when it is presented to the first chamber is supplied with a quantity of matches having their heads pointing in one direction, and then when presented to the second chamber is supplied with another quantity of matches having their heads pointing in the opposite direction, as will more fully appear by reference to said Letters Patent.

In the previous machine the quantity of matches supplied to the second measurin chamher and delivered thereby to the tray, varies to a substantial extent, and frequently results in an overcharge which arches above the top of the tray when the tray is lowered below the chamber, the protruding matches not only interfering with the nesting of the tray with the complementary box shuck or cover, but also scattering and becoming disarranged during the succeeding travel of the conveyer.

The object of the present invention is to overcome the objection mentioned; and to this end provision is had whereby the partially charged tray is raised at the second filling station to two succeeding levels and is then lowered to its normal position, and whereby the cut-off blade is operated to open communication between the trough and the measuring chamber when the tray is in its first raised position, and is then operated to close such communication when the tray is in its second raised position, the raising of the tray to the latter position forcing the excess matches in the upper portion of the chamber into the trough and above the plane of the cutoff blade preparatory to the closing operation of the blade and the subsequent descent of the tray and the distribution therein of the contents of the chamber, as will be hereinafter described and 0 claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of matchfilling mechanism embodying my invention, showing a portion of the match supply trough with the tray-holders in raised position thereunder and the discharge openings of the trough as closed by the cut-off blades.

Fig. 2 is a partial plan of a box packing machine in the vicinity of the match filling mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section in a plane through the second discharge opening of the trough, as on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing the cam and connections for reciprocating the tray holder.

Fig. 4 is a similar section through the second discharge opening of the trough, showing the tray in its fully raised position during the filling operation preparatory to the closure of the opening by the cut-off blade.

Fig. 5 is a similar section showing the tray in its first raised position below the second discharge opening.

Fig. 6 illustrates the cam for reciprocating the tray holder below the first discharge opening.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a portion of an inclined match feed trough of a width and height to receive and support in substantial parallelism a mass of loosely-contained matches with their heads pointing in one direction. The bottom of the trough is provided at different points in its length with two suitably-located openings 11 and 12 through which quantities of matches are discharged to box trays (T) positioned under the respective openings. The bottom of the trough is also provided at each of the openings with depending side walls 13 which extend transversely of the trough and are constructed and arranged to co-act with the underlying box trays to form measuring and guiding chambers for the matches supplied to the trays at the respective filling stations. Each of the chambers is provided at its upper portion with a transversely reciprocative cut-off blade, as 14, whereby the supply of matches from the trough to the chamber can be controlled. One end of the blade is aflixed to a suitably-disposed slide 15 which is pivotally connected to a lever 16 under the control of a cam 17 on the driven shaft 18. The contour of the cam is such that the slide is no maintained for a stated interval of time in closing position under the discharge opening, then retracted to opening position, and. thereafter returned to closing position.

19 designates a portion of a horizontally-disposed endless conveyer for the box trays, which conveyer is intermittently impelled by suitable gearing, including a pin-wheel 20 in co-operative relation to a cam 21 on the driven shaft. The conveyer in its travel passes transversely of the trough and directly under the two measuring chambers in such manner that each of the trays is supplied with two oppositely-arranged layers of matches from the respective chambers.

The tray conveyer comprises an endless chain of links each having a vertically-reciprocative holder 22 for a box tray. When the box holders are positioned under the respective measuring chambers, said holders are raised and lowered by means of two vertically reciprocative frames including channeled holder-receiving brackets 23 and yokes 24 having rolls 25 in operative engagement with cams 26 and 27, respectively, on the driven shaft. The cam 26 operates the frame at the first chamber, and the cam 27 operates the frame at the second chamber.

Heretofore the cam races of the respective cams 26 and 2'7 were of corresponding contour, such contour, as represented in the first filling cam 26, (Fig. 6) comprising inner and outer concentric rest portions a, b, respectively, connected at their ends by converging acting portions 0, d, respectively. Hence the frames were correspondingly reciprocated, that is to say, during the concurrent rotation of the earns the two yokes and the tray holders operated thereby were uniformly raised and lowered by the action of the cam portions 0 and d, and a sufficient dwell was provided at the limit of each stroke by the concentric portions a and b to permit the passage of the tray holders to and from the respective filling stations, and also to permit the fiow of matches to the measuring chambers and the closure of the discharge openings of the trough when the frames were at the upward limit of their stroke. By such construction and operation an excessive quantity of matches was frequently supplied to the second measuring chamber and delivered to the tray as previously mentioned. This objection does not obtain with respect to the delivery of the first charge of matches since slight variation in the first quantity supplied to the tray is immaterial.

According to the present invention the outer concentric surface 28 of the race of the second filling cam 27 is provided with a supplemental lifting portion 29 which extends from approximately the midsection of such surface to the trailing end thereof, and hence the holder is initially raised to the first level of the surface and maintained thereon a short interval, and is then raised to the higher level and maintained thereon until the descending portion 0 of the cam approaches and rides under the roll of the yoke of the tray supporting frame. When the partially filled tray is initially raised at the second chamber by the action of the lower cam surface 28 of the cam 27, the cut-off blade is retracted to permit the superposed matches in the trough to enter the chamber and rest upon the first charge within the box; and while the blade is retracted the supplemental lifting portion 29 of the cam race imparts a slight upward movement to the tray, (about a quarter of an inch) and the matches therein, together with the superposed matches in the second chamber, in consequence of which the excess matches at the top of such chamber are crowded back into the trough and above the plane of the cut-off blade, whereupon as the higher lifting portion of the cam acts upon the opposing frame roll 25 the blade 14 is moved to cut-off the supply of matches to the second chamber preparatory to the descent of the tray.

From the foregoing it will be seen that a substantially uniform supply of matches is delivered to the trays at the second filling station, in that the excess matches in the measuring chamber at that station are raised into the trough by the supplemental lift of the tray and then separated from the lower mass by the closing movement of the cut-off blade before the descent of the tray holder on the conveyer.

I claim:-

1. In a machine for packing matches, a match supply trough having spaced discharge openings and depending measuring chambers, cut-off blades for said openings, means for periodically actuating said blades, means for advancing a sucession of trays to position each tray first under one chamber to receive a charge of matches therefrom and then under the second chamber to receive a charge of matches therefrom, and means for vertically reciprocating the trays under the chambers in timed relation to the respective cut-off blades, said last-named means including an element for imparting a secondary left to the raised tray beneath the second measuring chamber before the closing of the discharge opening to the latter by the associated cut-off blade.

2. In a machine for packing matches, a match supply trough having spaced discharge openings and depending measuring chambers, cut-off blades for said openings, means for periodically actuating said blades, means for advancing a succession of trays to position each tray first under one chamber to receive a charge of matches therefrom, and then under the second chamber to receive a charge of matches therefrom. and means for vertically reciprocating the trays under the chambers in timed relation to the respective cut-off blades, said last-named means including a tray-supporting frame and an actuating cam therefor having a surface which supports the raised frame at one level beneath the second measuring chamber when the cut-off blade for that chamber is in open position and a succeeding surface which lifts said frame to and supports it at a higher level before the closing of the discharge opening of the latter chamber.

MICHAEL PARIDON; 

